Fanfare! Into the Ether

[Paul Whybrow]

As a fanfare my news is hardly a match for Helen Garner, who found she'd won a $150,000 literary prize after checking her junk mail folder, but it's a tiny toot on my own horn

It proves it's worth looking closely at junk mail before deleting it all, as I almost did, before seeing a declaration that one of my short stories had been accepted for publication.

'Publication' is a grand term for what's actually happened, as I'd forgotten about submitting a story to a new smartphone reading platform called Ether. I thought that it would be a good way of getting my name out there as a writer, as there's been lots of articles in the press on how readers consume content in bite-sized chunks while on the move. This has led to a resurgence of the short story and novella.

I uploaded 'Soul-Swapping' in May, 2015 and was advised that it would take 90 days to consider it for publication—which is why I forgot about doing it, as I spent the rest of the year querying agents—a task that has all of the hope of placing a prayer note in the Wailing Wall, as many of you can affirm.

Who knows what will come from this development, but if you're looking for a venue to display your literary wares it might be worth looking at Ether.

 

[Carol Rose]

HOORAY!! So happy for you!!!

 

[Sea-shore]

Congratulations Paul!

 

[Lex Black]

Congratulations!

 

[Marc Joan]

Well done you!! The first of many!

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Great news for you

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Yayyyyy!

 

[Jason Byrne]

As a fanfare my news is hardly a match for Helen Garner, who found she'd won a $150,000 literary prize after checking her junk mail folder, but it's a tiny toot on my own horn

It proves it's worth looking closely at junk mail before deleting it all, as I almost did, before seeing a declaration that one of my short stories had been accepted for publication.

'Publication' is a grand term for what's actually happened, as I'd forgotten about submitting a story to a new smartphone reading platform called Ether. I thought that it would be a good way of getting my name out there as a writer, as there's been lots of articles in the press on how readers consume content in bite-sized chunks while on the move. This has led to a resurgence of the short story and novella.

I uploaded 'Soul-Swapping' in May, 2015 and was advised that it would take 90 days to consider it for publication—which is why I forgot about doing it, as I spent the rest of the year querying agents—a task that has all of the hope of placing a prayer note in the Wailing Wall, as many of you can affirm.

Who knows what will come from this development, but if you're looking for a venue to display your literary wares it might be worth looking at Ether.

306 days later, congratulations! I wonder if I...
Nope. Only a "high-paying job opportunity" from someone in the middle east.

 

[Jason Byrne]

 

[Nicole Wilson]

Yay! Congrats!

 

[Jason Byrne]

Yay! Congrats!

Rainbow.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Congratulations!

 

[Patricia D]

As a fanfare my news is hardly a match for Helen Garner, who found she'd won a $150,000 literary prize after checking her junk mail folder, but it's a tiny toot on my own horn

It proves it's worth looking closely at junk mail before deleting it all, as I almost did, before seeing a declaration that one of my short stories had been accepted for publication.

'Publication' is a grand term for what's actually happened, as I'd forgotten about submitting a story to a new smartphone reading platform called Ether. I thought that it would be a good way of getting my name out there as a writer, as there's been lots of articles in the press on how readers consume content in bite-sized chunks while on the move. This has led to a resurgence of the short story and novella.

I uploaded 'Soul-Swapping' in May, 2015 and was advised that it would take 90 days to consider it for publication—which is why I forgot about doing it, as I spent the rest of the year querying agents—a task that has all of the hope of placing a prayer note in the Wailing Wall, as many of you can affirm.

Who knows what will come from this development, but if you're looking for a venue to display your literary wares it might be worth looking at Ether.

Congratulations and thank you for posting the info about Ether. Let's hope the visibility pays off big time.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Thank you for your congratulations. I'll let you know if there's any feedback from Ether readers. I put the short story on there as a free read, just to promote my name as a writer.

I'd done the same thing with the 44 titles I uploaded to Smashwords in 2013-2014, giving all of my writing away for nothing as part of a promotional ploy to help launch my first novel online for Christmas 2014. I had a change of heart about that, and I'm glad that I did considering the amount of editing I've since done to the manuscript.

Curious as to how many readers would download my free books, I let the promotion continue. In the last 16 months, 6,000 people have—after all, the price is right. My most popular title is a collection of erotic verse, with more than 1,000 avid heavy breathers fans.

I have absolutely no idea if any of this will do any good for me as a writer, but one thing I've learnt about publishing is that no one knows what will work—until it does! This marketing strategy may be akin to flinging spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks, but I'll try anything.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Spaghetti is delicious. And also doubles as a hat!

 

[Alistair Roberts]

I thinking someone is stringing this along....

 

[Chase Gamwell]

Sorry I'm so late to the party, but congrats!